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Why Power Shift '09 matters and why you should register today!

28

Jan

Why Power Shift '09 matters and why you should register today!

By Ada Aroneanu

Power Shift '09 is one month away--that's less than 700 hours from now! Register today and be sure to select 1Sky as your coalition member-group affiliation. -- Luis

I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Majora Carter giving
an impassioned speech about her work arming low-income communities
with sustainable solutions in the Bronx. Van Jones rallied the crowds
with his vision of a clean energy future inclusive of all. The Step
It Up crew had us wave thousands of green fingers up at stage, and our
very own Betsy Taylor gave a speech about the brand-new 1Sky campaign
that didn't even have an office yet.

I had just spent the last three months recruiting for Power Shift from
a little yellow room at Energy Action's office in DC. That meant
working with student leaders to raise money for their trips, recruit
busloads of their fellow students, and plan their trips to DC. The
amazing thing is that they were almost all eager to partake in some
way. Everyone recognized we were on the brink of an international
moral crisis, and there was a pervasive sense of "all hands on deck."
While inspiring others to come, I couldn't help but inspire myself.
The effort was colossal and transcendent – a turning-point on this
issue.

Fast forward one year later, I started working at 1Sky as an
organizer, and am lucky to work on the same movement-wide conference
again -- Power Shift '09. Remembering how many connections were formed
last year, and how powerful the experience was for the 6,000
attendees, I can't help but approach this second conference as one of
the most important opportunities for climate leaders in history.

This year, Power Shift is expanding far beyond the youth sector. We
literally need all members of society to step up and join us at this
10,000 person gathering. That's why we're asking you to join us this
year and make history. Folks that attend Power Shift '09 will get to
be part of the largest lobby day on climate ever. Not only that, but
you'll be trained to be extremely effective organizers and messengers
on this issue. If there's anything this movement needs, it's
continuity and intensity of our "ground game" this year – people
pushing hard in every nook and cranny of the country. Are you ready
to join us? www.powershift09.org.